Page 65 of Jinx

Lucian tried to cover his laugh, and Bellamy was looking at her like a lovesick pup.

“Yes, the Zeus,” I answered, fighting my own smile. “He had four champions. They were the original gryphons and founders of the four bloodlines—Kratos, Bia, Zelus, and Nike. The old gods have given this world over to the new, but the legacy of gryphons and their sacred duty remains: keep the human world from falling to shade.”

Cordelia let out a slow breath. That last part was at least something I’d already shared. “Okay. So like supernatural police duty. Is that why you guys have magic too? Like, Rami’s healing?” Each of us nodded, and her gaze darted to Quinn. “You can tell when someone’s lying. What about the rest of you?”

She got an excited grin from Bellamy. “I move through shadows.”

Her eyes flared with unmasked delight. “Like teleporting? That’s so cool!” Then she turned to me, and I quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m a dreamwalker.”

Pink colored her cheeks. “Right. Duh. Luce?”

We all braced.

Lucian shifted uncomfortably, struggling to keep his expression relaxed. “We don’t know which side my ability came from—vampire or gryphon—but I can be very persuasive.”

Understanding lit in Cordelia’s eyes. “Mr. Mason?”

What? Who was Mr. Mason?

“Yeah.” Lucian dragged the word out, scratching the back of his head.

“You can persuade him to walk off a cliff next time,” Pixie said with an adorable growl.

“The point is,” I moved the conversation forward, “these abilities are unpredictable and often outside our control without being tethered to our Heart.”

“Uncontrollable,” she muttered, a wry twist to her lips. “I know what that’s like. So, what do we do now?”

“Now we give you a crash course before the acolytes come.”

Rami’s eyes flew to me, darkening with concern. “You think they will?”

“The Oracle will know,” I said with a nod and reached for my coffee mug. An unfortunate sip confirmed that it had long since gone cold, but I forced myself to swallow anyway. “She always knows.”

Cordelia’s eyes narrowed with apprehension. “So when my moonstone cracked…”

I tipped my head again. “She’ll send an envoy to make contact and explain the process.”

“What is the process?” She had her arms wrapped around herself now, nestled into Rami’s sweatshirt like it was a comfort blanket. I didn’t miss the way she breathed more deeply to draw in his scent and soothe the panic that was creeping into her expression.

“When gryphons and Hearts turn eighteen, they attend Athene Academy. They’re matched with the rest of their drift and learn about our world and their duty.”

I could see in her eyes the moment the picture she had for her future shattered. “But I’m too old,” she argued, and I wished to the gods it mattered. “And I’m starting at Glenoakes U in just a few weeks. I’ve already registered for my classes. I have an apartment and…and a cat!”

“I know, Pixie.” I reached over to tuck stray hairs behind her ear, brushing my thumb against her pale cheek. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line, jaw clenching under my touch.

I hated this look. She wore it far too often over the years whenever she tried to shove down disappointment and pain. I could feel it along our heartstring like a slick poison. She was trying to convince herself that it was ungrateful to feel those things. That it didn’t matter what she wanted. That one more kick in the gut by Fate was nothing when she was already covered in a lifetime of bruises.

“Okay,” she whispered. When she opened her eyes again, they were dim with resignation. She forced a tight smile to curl the corners of her mouth.

I fucking hated this look.

43

CORDELIA

If I’d thought my life couldn’t get any more complicated, I was dead wrong. I’d been shocked so many times over the last forty-eight hours that I’d finally gone numb. It felt insane to think it, but I was starting to miss the days when I was just a girl with a curse. At least then I knew what to expect. Now, all the things I was proud of accomplishing? I had to unravel them.